Typewriting machine



Dec. '14, 1926.

c. M. cR Ews TYPEWRITING momma Filed Nov. 8, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 TkN ' Inventor: Q

Arrom w Dec. 14., 1926.

A C. M. CREWS TYPEWRITING MACHINE Filed Nov. 8, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 MN I- M s U n v u a e NQ .S\ J m Z 1 m 6 u Q w 0% m a Q m Wm A E '4 F Patented Dec. 14, 1926.

inset arena" CLARENCE M. CREVTS OF BROOKLYN, NEVI YORK, ASSIGNOP. TO UHDEBVJ'OOD TYSEE- WRITER COMPANY, OF NEJV' YORK, N. 3., GQI- GRA'ZIQIL OE BELAW'ARE,

V TYEEVTRI'I'ING MACHINE.

Application filed November 8, 1923.

This invention relates to devices used in typewriting machines, particularly those of the front-strike class, for holding stencilcards and the like to be typed upon.

Usually a stencil address card consists of a small piece of stencil paper, surrounded by a brittle cardboard frame. The stencil paper has to be dampened, preparatory to typing thereon; and, as it is sticky, it is apt to gum up the mechanism of the typewriting machine. It is a desideratum therefore to provide a holder for the card, said holder to have line-space movements.

One of the main objects of the present invention is to produce an inexpensivea'nd etlicient device which is readily applicable to typewriting machines of standard construction.

To accomplish this and other ends, the backing of celluloid or the like, which it is customary to employ upon the platen, in order to aid in producing the desired charactor of typ'e-impressions upon the stencilcard, is modified and made to perform an additional functidn. Instead of merely fastening a band of celluloid around the platen, heretofore, the sheet of celluloid or other backing material is attached by its top to the platen, and extends down in front thereof to overlie the printing field or a portion of the same, and at its lower portion is folded upwardly at the front to make a pocket fm'ming a holder for the stencil-card. The bottom of this holder is in the form of a trough to receive the bottom of the card rame, and from this trough sides extend up in front of the stencil-card, which may thus be confined between the front and back walls of the celluloid holder. This holder, being made of celluloid or like flexible material, is readily bendable around the platen and is held thereto by any suitable means, as, for instance, by the front guiding fingers, which usually have rolls running upon the front of the revoluble platen. These rolls may run upon wide margins that are provided upon the main celluloid sheet outside of the folded portion thereof. The holder inay also be pressed or held back against the platen at its middle portion by means of a suitable finger mounted on the platen frame. The folded flap of the celluloid card-holder may be widened or provided Serial No. 673.41%

with wing portions at both right and left sides thereof, to conduce to the stiffness and improve the efficiency of the structure.

l Vh'en the card is inserted, the bottom of thetrough forms a gage down to which to set the stencil-card; and'at one side, preferably the left, a tongue may be bent in from the celluloid. (from either the main sheet or thefolded-up part), to serve as a sideedge gage for the card.

The top of the main celluloid sheet may be attached to the platen by means of a bar extending the length of the platen, and preferably having means to hold it detachably upon theplaten; said sheet being detachably caught upon said bar.

lVhen the celluloid is worn out by reason of the type-impressions thereon, it may be detached from the bar and a new celluloid card-holder may be readily substituted therefor at trifling expense.

In carrying out the present invention in one way, the stencil-card may not be bent at all. The card may be inserted in the holder while the latter is in its raised position, and then the platen may bereversely rotated until the card-holder nearly reaches orcontacts with the top of the usual type-bar segment at the front of the machine. The device is then in position for typing the first line upon the stencil-card. preparatory backward rotation of the platen and downward movement of the card just described, the card remains flat, and the portion of the flexible holder below the printingpoint is also in fiat condition. As the platen is then advanced line by line, the card-holder and card therein rise, but the card remains flat, and thesanie is also true of the fold portion or frontflap of the card-holder;while the rear or'main sheet of the card-holder curves rearwardly as it is carried around the to of the platen.

The device in its preferred form may be readily attached as a unit to the typewritingmachine. The further advantage is gained that the cardholder may readily be removed, when it is desired to use the ty iewriter for typing upon ordinary worksheets. i

Other features and advantages will here inafter appear. 7

In the accompanying drawings,

During the Figure 1 is a view in front elevation of a revoluble platen of a typewriting machine embodying the present invention.

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is sectional view which corresponds to Figure 2, showing a typewriting machin embodying a modified form of the device shown in F igue 1.

Figure 4: is a front elevation similar to Figure 1, showing a modified form of the invention.

Figure 5 is a perspective View of the modified form of the invention shown in Figures 3 and 4.

Figure 6 is a diagrammatic view showing a section of an improved card-holder in its upper position after being displaced from the position shown in Figure 2.

In the drawings, a front-strike platen 10 may be journaled by an axle 11 in a frame 12, as usual. A type-bar 18 is also shown and a type bar guide 19, the printing point being indicated at X. A type-bar segment 20 may be provided, as shown partly in dotted lines, in Figure 1.

A stencil backing 22 of tough, flexible material, such as celluloid, is supported at its top upon the platen by means of a bar 32 attached to the platen and presently to be described. From this bar the flexible sheet extends forwardly and down around the platen, and at its lower portion is folded up to make a pocket 24, down into which a stencil-card 25 may readily be inserted; this pocket being open at its front to permit the types to strike upon the stencil-card supported in the pocket. The main portion 22 f the celluloid sheet is preferably for .ied from a single sheet of celluloid or the like, by bending the same up, or by molding the sheet, thus forming a trough portion 26 to receive the bottom portion of the stencilcard. The trough portion however, serves to stiffen the card-holding device, and also tends to keep the main portion 22 of the backing sheet smoothly against the platen. When inserting a stencil-card 25 into the holder 24. the bottom of the trough 26 may serve as a gage down to which the stent-ih card 25 is set, and at one side, preferably the left, a side gage 27, in the form of a tongue, may be bent backwardly from the frame 23, see Figures 1, 1 and 5. for properly positioning and aligning the stenciloard 25.

Extending upwardly from the front side of the trough 26 are right and left wing frame members 28 and 29, respectively which confine the stencil-card 25 in the pocket 24:. Right frame member 28 may preferably be made a little wider than the width of the stencil-card 25, so that it will form a guide for the same. see Figure 1, and at the same time help to stiffen and improve the structure of the card-holder 21. Backwardl v extending tabs 30 may be provided on the upper edge of the frame members 28 and to hold the stencil-card 25 against upward displacement during the typing oper -ion. Wing-scales 17 guide and support the win-:1- frame members 28 and 29, and aid in holding the stencil-card 25 to the platen 10 along the printing line.

The backing portion 22 for the cardholder 21 being made of flexible material, such as celluloid, is readily bendable around the platen 10 and may be held at each end thereto by the work-piece guides 13. Rolls 16 on the guides 13 may run upon an. margins which are provided on the back. portion 22 outside of the frame as sho in Figure 1. The top of the backing puition 22 may be attached to the platen 10 to be driven for line-space movement there with in any suitable manner. by me: is of a metal clamping sheet 31 having a curved portion 31 extending therefrom, as shown in Figures 1 and 6, or, as shown in the modified form in Figures t and 5, by bar 32 extending the length of the platen 10 and having at each end thereof spring clamps 33 to hold it firmly to the platen. The backing portion 22 is fastened to the attaching means in any suitable manner that allows of easy replacement of the card holder 21 when the same becomes defective or worn, as by rivets 34:. or detachabl catching the folded upper portion of the backing 22 upon the bar 32, shown in Figure In Figures 3 and 5, the upper portion of the backing 22 may be given a permarertl curved shape to conform with the contour of the platen 10, so that the lower portion of the backing 22 and the frame 253 will normally take a v rtical position, as shown in Figure 3.

The stencil-cards are preferably not henl. After attaching the card-holder to the pla en, the flat stencil-card 25 may be inserted in the pocket 24lbehind the rig member 28, while the car l.--l.- raised position, and card 25 may be proppositioned for typing by setting the same down to the bottom of the trough 26 to the left against the edge gage 27,.see Fi ure 1. The platen 10 may then be reverse rotated until the bottom of the card-holder 21 about contacts with the type-bar segment 20, see Figures 1 and 2. The device is then positioned for typing the first line on the stencil-card 25. In giving the platen 1O line-space movement during succeeding typing operations. the card-holder 21. which is attached thereto. and the sten il-card 25 contained within the same, will move therewith.

The stencil-card may easily be removed by lifting the card 25 out of the holder 2 l, while the latter is in raised position. Th wingforwardly, so that the tabs 30 clear the upper edge of the stencil-card 25.

It should be noted that the card-holder frame 23 and the stencil-card 25 preferably remain in their normal flat condition during the entire typing operation, while the back ing portion 2-2 may flex or curve rearwardly when carried around the top of the platen 10 The device may readily be attached as a unit to any standard cylindrical platen typewriting machine, and is easily detached as a unit when it is desired to use the typewriter for other purposes.

Variations may be resorted to within the scope of the invention, as for example in cases where it is not desired to flex the forward part of the pocket, it need not be integral with the celluloid backing, nor need the forward part of the pocket be made of flexible material so long as the backing serves as the rear part of the pocket, flexing around the platen during the rotation of the T? latter, for the purpose of effecting line-space movement of the pocket and card. Portions of the improvements may be used without others.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A backing for use in typing stencilcards, said backing being flexible for wrapping about a revoluble typewriter platen, means being provided for attaching one end of said backing to said platen, said backing at its other end folded outwardly, the folded portion co-operating with said backing to form a pocket for a work-card, means ex tending laterally from said backing beyond said pocket to be engageable by the workguiding devices of the typewriter, for causing said backing to conform to the curvature of the platen independently of said folded portion, the latter not curving around the platen but maintaining the stencil-card in flat condition and having an open front through which the card in the holder is exposed to the action of the types.

2. A celluloid backing for use in typing stencil-cards, said backing being flexible for wrapping about a revoluble typewriter plat-' en, means being provided for attaching one end of said backing to said platen, said backing at its other end folded outwardly, the folded portion co-operating with said backing to form a pocket for a work-card, means extending laterally from said backing beyond said pocket to be engageable by the work-guiding devices of the typewriter, for causing said backing to conform to the curvature of the platen independently of said folded portion, the latter not curving aroiund the platen but maintaining the stencil-card in flat condition, said folded portion cut away to expose the card to the action of the types'of the typewriting machine, leaving card retaining devices extending up from the fold and overlying the side borders of the card.

8. A celluloid backing for use in typing stencil-cards, said backing flexible for wrapping about a revoluble typewriter platen, means being provided for attaching one end of said. backing to said platen, said backing having at its other end a folded portion cooperating with said backing to form a pocket for a work-card, said backing having integral extensions on each side beyond the folded portion to be engageable by the paper-guiding devices of the typewriting machine, to curve the stencil backing tightly around the platen while the folded portion remains in fiat or normal condition, one of said side extensions being of sufficient width to serve as a guide for facilitating the work-card into the pocket.

4. A celluloid backing for use in typing stencil-cards, said backing being flexible for wrapping about a revoluble platen of a type writing machine, means being provided for attaching one end of said backing to said platen, said backing having at its other end a folded portion cooperating with said backing to form a pocket for a work-card, means extending laterally from said backing beyond said pocket to be engageable by the work guiding devices of the typewriter, for causing said backing to conform to the curvature of the platen independently of said folded portion, the latter not curving around the platen but maintaining the stencil-card in flat condition, said attaching means including a bar extending lengthwise of the platen and having means for detachably connecting it to the platen, the leading edge of said backing being fastened to said bar.

5. The combination with a revoluble platen, of a stencil-card holder comprising a backing or impression sheet for the stencilcard, means forming with said sheet a pocket 0}1 holder for the stencil-card and comprising an integral portion folded up from said sheet, and guiding or retaining devices ex tending up from said pocket to overlie the side borders of the stencil-card.

6. A card-holder for a typewriting machine formed of a single sheet of flexible celluloid having a backing portion arranged for closely engaging the platen of said machine and to be releasably attached to said platen, a pocket with flat front and rear walls for holding a work-piece, a right-hand lateral extension of the front wall of said pocket, and an integral regulating gage-lug formed on the left end of the upstanding front wall of the pocket to co-operate with iii) said lateral extension and the bottom of the of tough flexible material shaped to have a backing portion, a pocket for holding a Work-piece, and tabs on the upper edge of the card-holder to hold the Work-piece inserted in the pocket against upward displacement therefron'i.

S. A. card-holder formed of a single sheet of tough flexible material shaped to have a backing portion arranged for engaging a revoluble platen, lateral extensions of said backing portion, and a pocket for holding a card, said pocket having a front Wall with upward extensions for overlying the side edges oi the card, and tabs on said extensions to prevent upward displacement of said card, the right-hand upward extension of said pocket having an extra Width to form With the right-hand lateral extension of said backing portion a guide throat to facilitate inserting a card in said pocket.

CLARENCE M. OREWS. 

